Can carrier carton with chime engaging retaining tabs



Jan. 26, 1965 E. DE PAUL 3,167,213

CAN CARRIER CARTON WITH cums ENGAGiNG RETAINING TABS Filed April 29, 1963 fiz'c'kardEDePczuZ WMM 4% United States Patent O 3,167,213 CAN CARRIER (ZARTGN WETH CHi'l /IE ENGAGHNG RETAINZNG TABS Richard E. De Paul, Norristown, Pa, assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, ill, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 29, 1%3, Ser. No. 276,449 6 Claims. (Cl. '22il112) This invention relates to carrier cartons, and more particularly to sleeve-type, wrap-around, paperboard, carrier cartons for packaging cylindrical objects such as chimed cans.

The invention comprehends an improved carrier carton, for enclosing two parallel rows of chimed cans, having chime engaging retaining tabs projecting from one wall of the carton between a pair of cans of opposed rows.

This invention is directed to an improvement in a carton of the type described in United States Letters Patent No. Re. 25,111. In cartons of the type described in this patent means are provided for engaging the chimes at the lower portions of the cans to prevent their movement relative to the bottom wall of the cartons; however, it is also desirable to provide some type of retaining means to prevent or limit the movement of the upper portions of the cans relative to the top wall of the carton. When the carton is lifted there is a tendency for the top and bottom walls to pull away from each other, and, if this happens, the cans have a tendency to shift with respect to each other or the carton itself.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide in a sleeve-type wrap-around, carrier for enclosing a pair of opposed, parallel rows of chimed cans retaining means formed integrally with one wall of the carton and engageable with the cans to limit their movement.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a carton of the type described, at least one pair of can retainin tabs cut from and hinged to a wall of the carton to project into the carton between a pair of cans of opposed rows and receive portions of the chimes of the cans to restrict their movement.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carrier carton embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, transverse, vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the blanlt from which the carton of the FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 can be formed;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, plan view of the top of a carton having tabs embodying a modified form of the invention, with the tabs shown folded into can retaining position;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of a blank from which the structure of FIGURES 5 and 6 may be formed.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that in FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a sleeve-type, wrap-around, carrier carton K embodying features of the invention. The carton is shown as enclosing two opposed, parallel rows of cylindrical articles, such as cans A having peripheral chimes C at opposite ends thereof.

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Referring to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that the carton may be formed from a unitary blank B of suitable sheet material such as foldable paperboard.

Again referring to FIGURES 1 and 4, it will be seen that the carton includes a pair of transversely spaced, generally parallel, vertically extending side wall panels it which are hingedly connected at their upper edges to the side edges of a pair of generally parallel, vertically spaced, transversely extending top and bottom walls 12 and 14, respectively.

At least one of the top and bottom Walls, top wall 12 in the case of the carton illustrated, may comprise a single panel; whereas, the other wall of the carton, bottom wall 14 in the case of the carton illustrated, may comprise a pair of generally co-planar panels 16 having at their inboard edges integral flanges 18 which may be secured to each other in a manner disclosed in previously referred to Patent No. Re. 25,111.

It is to be understood, of course, that both the top and bottom walls of the carton may be formed of a single panel in the same manner as top wall 12 of the illustrated carton.

In order to provide a means for grasping or lifting the carton, the top wall may be provided with a pair of spaced finger holes 22. Also, to prevent the movement of the cans out of the ends of the carton there may be provided in the top and bottom walls of the carton a plu rality of can engaging flaps 24 of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,846,062.

In order to facilitate opening of the carton one of the side wall panels 14 may be provided with a series of perforations or cuts 26 which affords a tear line. Additionally, top wall panel 12 may be provided with a perforated punch out, as indicated at 28, located adjacent the tear line serving as a starter for the tear line.

The essential feature of the invention resides in the provision of a plurality of pairs of chime engaging retaining tabs 30 which are cut from the top wall panel of the carton by the generally U-shaped cut lines 32 and which are hinged to the top wall of the carton along hinge lines 34. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the respective tabs of each pair may be offset longitudinally of the carton with respect to each other a slight amount so that only about of the tabs overlap each other, but with the tabs having adjacent edges hinged to the top wall of the carton about a common hinge line 34, so that when they are folded down into the carton they are disposed in generally parallel, back-to-back relationship.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, each of the tabs 3% has an opening or recess 35, which is located approximately centrally of the tab and in that portion of the tab adjacent wall 12 of the carton. Although the tabs may be offset with respect to each other, openings 35 are still disposed in alignment with each other to form a common opening for receiving portions of the chimes of the cans disposed on opposite sides of the tabs.

As best seen in FIGURE 4, openings 35 are both formed by a single, generally U-shaped cut 36 which extends across both of the tabs 30 of the pair and which forms a flap or projection 38 hinged to one of the two tabs along a hinge line 39 spaced from and parallel to the main hinge line 34 of the tab.

This projection may be folded along its hinge line 39 to project down into the carton between the pair of opposed tabs 38 which are disposed in back-to-back relation. If this is done projection 38 serves as a spacer between the tabs to increase the thickness between the adjacent portions of the pair of opposed cans. If desired, of course, cut 36 may be generally rectangular with the result that the material forming projection 38 is stripped from the blank at the time the carton is made.

Thus, it will be'understood that in a carton of'the type described each, pair of tabs 30 will project into the carton between a pair of cans of opposed rows, with portions of the can chimes being received in the apertures 35 of the tabs to prevent the movement of the cans either longitudinally of the carton .or vertically with respect to the top wall of the carton. The same is true in the case of a carton having both top and bottom walls formed with tabs of this: general type. I 7,

Turning now to FIGURES 5 through 7 it will be seen that a modified form of the invention is shown. As the structure in these views is similar to the structure illus trated of the earlier views, corresponding numerals have been employed to designate related elements,

As best seen in FIGURE 7, U-shaped tabs 130 are cut from the top Wall of the carton in the same manner as the tabs of the previous views, except that they may be hinged to the carton about a pair of parallel hinge lines spaced from each other on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the carton, instead of'being hinged to each other about a common hinge line. Also, in the embodiment of FIGURE 7 the tabs are eachprovidedvwith a projection 136, as distinguished from the common projection for the pair of tabs disclosed in the earlier embodiment.

tabs function in the same manner as thetabs illustrated in FIGURE 3, except that'by spacing the hinge lines a slight distance from each other andforming a double set of projections the overall thickness of the tabs and projec- Referring now to FIGURE 6 it will be seen that the 0 walls extending transversely between and connected to respective side wall panels to define a tubular structure; 7 a V (0) one of said walls having cut therefrom and hinged thereto a pair of cooperating'retaining tabs having portions thereof extending into the carton to be confined between end portions of a pair of adjacent cans of opposed rows;

(d). said portions of the tabs having aligned openings therein disposed adjacent said'one wall for receiving portions of the chimes of said pair of cans;

(e) at least one of said tabs having the portion of the material cut therefrom to form the tab opening hinged to the tab at the side of the opening opposite from said one wall and projecting into the carton between said pair of tabs.

2; A carton according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the material cut from; both of the tabs to form the tab openings is hinged to one of the tabs at the side of its opening opposite from said one wall and projects into the carton between said pair of tabs.

3. A' carton according to claim 1, wherein said tabs are hinged to said one wall ona common hinge line located on the longitudinal axis of said one wall.

4. A carton according toclaim 1, wherein saidtabs are hingedto said one wall on a pair of binge lines spaced from each other a relatively slight distance and located 7 on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said one wall in parallel relation therewith.

V 5. A carton according to.claim 1, wherein said tabs are symmetrically disposed with respect to each other.

6. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said tabs are offset, longitudinallyof the carton, with respect to each other. 7 1

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,818,171 12/57 Andre.

2,899,051 8/59 Barnby. 3,017,064 1/62 Davis.

3,032,185 5/ 62 Ellis.

GEORGE 0. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SLEEVE-TYPE, CARRIER CARTON FORMED FROM A UNITARY BLANK OF FOLDABLE PAPERBOARD, FOR ENCLOSING TWO OPPOSED ROWS OF CHIMED CANS ARRANGED IN ADJACENT, PARALLEL, SIDEBY-SIDE RELATION, COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF PARALLEL, VERTICALLY DISPOSED, TRANSVERSELY SPACED SIDE WALL PANELS; (B) A PAIR OF PARALLEL, VERTICALLY SPACED TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO RESPECTIVE SIDE WALL PANELS TO DEFINE A TUBULAR STRUCTURE; (C) ONE OF SAID WALLS HAVING CUT THEREFROM AND HINGED THERETO A PAIR OF COOPERATING RETAINING TABS HAVING PORTIONS THEREOF EXTENDING INTO THE CARTON TO BE CONFINED BETWEEN END PORTIONS OF A PAIR OF ADJACENT CANS OF OPPOSED ROW; (D) SAID PORTIONS OF THE TABS HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS THEREIN DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID ONE WALL FOR RECEIVING PORTIONS OF THE CHIMES OF SAID PAIR OF CANS; (E) AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TABS HAVING THE PORTION OF THE MATERIAL CUT THEREFROM TO FORM THE TAB OPENING HINGED TO THE TAB AT THE SIDE OF THE OPENING OPPOSITE FROM SAID ONE WALL AND PROJECTING INTO THE CARTON BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF TABS. 